Gok fixed it for jamie stevens
Not content with being the reigning Men's Hairdresser of the Year, Jamie Stevens has just bagged himself a television gig with the style guru of the moment Gok Wan.
Needless to say Jamie - the new resident hairdresser on Gok's Fashion Fix - was a happy man when Matthew Batham caught up with him.
How did your job with Gok's Fashion Fix come about?
I've been cutting Gok's hair for about 10 months. Through him I ended up cutting a lot of the producers at Channel 4. I wanted to get in to TV to raise my profile and the producers liked what I did.
What was it like cutting Gok's hair first the first time - he is a fashion icon, after all?
The first time I cut Gok's hair I had to go to his house. I knew he was the client but when he opened the door and asked me in I did have a moment of thinking "I'm in Gok's house!" I had to remove all these wefts from his hair before I could cut it. It took me three hours. By the end of it we were having a beer together and the rest is history.
Was Fashion Fix your first experience of TV work?
No the first TV work I did was for Miss Naked Beauty. I styled women while they were naked. I styled three models for two shoots - one where they looked over-the-top glamorous and the second where everything was very natural looking. This led to me being offered the job with Gok's Fashion Fix.
Was this first gig well-paid?
It was important to get that first step on the ladder - I didn't get paid for it and I had to pull together a team of five people, who also all worked for free. I'm getting paid for Gok's Fashion Fix, but it's not easy money. I spent four days solid creating 64 hairstyles with a team of five people - when it was edited down, I was on screen for about one minute.
How do you juggle TV work and working in the Errol Douglas salon?
I have a very understanding boss and clients. They know I love what I'm doing. They accept that things do crop up at the last minute with TV work. It was a risk worth taking - I didn't want to be in the salon five or six days a week every week.
As well as the TV work I have my role as creative ambassador for ghd to fit in.
Do you plan to do more TV work?
I'd definitely like to do more TV work. Knowing Gok has opened doors for me. His agent is now representing me and looking for more TV jobs.